The distant lights of Manaus may flicker across the Rio Negro, but a few minutes at Lago Salvador Jungle Lodge are enough to fulfill all those dreams of escape from the urban grind. Don't come expecting Frette sheets: the 12-room hotel, nestled into the densely forested shoreline near the Amazon's headwaters, is comfortable yet basic. Come instead for the activities, which include nature hikes, fishing expeditions, and trips to floodplains that brim with birdlife.

After dark, guests are armed with flashlights and taken via dugout canoe on a stealth mission of sorts - to view the glowing, half-submerged eyes of alligators and other predators. The urban jungle never seemed so tame (090-600-0094; 2- and 3-day packages, $250-$350 per person).